Pinhas Gershon
Encyclopedia
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach, who won 3 European Champions Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
as a head coach for Maccabi Tel Aviv
Maccabi Tel Aviv (basketball)
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv B.C. is a professional Israeli basketball club based in Tel Aviv. The team plays in three leagues: the Euroleague, the Israeli Basketball Super League, and the Adriatic League....
. He was also the coach of the Bulgarian national team.
Personal details
He grew up and studied in the city Tel AvivTel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. He experienced a rough childhood, as his biological father abandoned the family at the age of one year and left him with his mother, on poverty conditions.
As a basketball player
In his youth he was a basketball player. He played for the team "Maccabi south Tel Aviv", which was a sister team of Maccabi Tel Aviv, and was one of the stars in the cadets team. He played a number of years also in the adult group of Maccabi south Tel Aviv, but his career as a basketball player ended at the age of 24 as a result of an injury.As a coach
Maccabi Rishon LeZion (basketball)
Maccabi Rishon LeZion is a basketball club based in Rishon LeZion in central Israel. The club plays in Ligat HaAl, the top division of Israeli basketball.-History:...
, Hapoel Galil Elyon
Hapoel Galil Elyon
Hapoel Galil-Elyon was an Israeli basketball club. The team represented the north-east region of the country – the Upper Galilee, and the Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights...
, Hapoel Gan Shmuel-Menashe, Hapoel Tel Aviv
Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C.
Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C. is an Israeli basketball club. The second most successful side in Israeli basketball, The club Owned by Hapoel Tel Aviv Supporters Trust and is currently in Liga Leumit, the Second tier.-History:...
and Hapoel Jerusalem, as well as the assistant coach for the Israel national basketball team
Israel national basketball team
The Israeli national basketball team is the basketball team that represents Israel in international competition.The Israeli team has participated 25 times in the European championship tournament. Their best achievements were a silver medal in Eurobasket 1979, and 5th place in 1953 and 1977...
.
In 1993 he led Hapoel Galil Elyon
Hapoel Galil Elyon
Hapoel Galil-Elyon was an Israeli basketball club. The team represented the north-east region of the country – the Upper Galilee, and the Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights...
to the Israeli championship
Ligat Winner
Ligat HaAl , or the Israeli Basketball Super League, is the top tier of league basketball competition in Israeli basketball, making it Israel's primary basketball competition. For sponsorship reasons, the league is also referred to as Ligat Loto , lit...
, the first time in 36 years that it had not been won by Maccabi Tel Aviv. In 1996 he won the Israeli national cup as the coach of Hapoel Jerusalem, after beating Maccabi in the final.
In the different interviews he expressed himself poignantly against Maccabi Tel Aviv and against the club's dominance of Israeli basketball. Therefore it was quite a surprise when he become Maccabi Tel Aviv's coach at the end of 1998. In that time Maccabi Tel Aviv was in a professional crisis after several years of failing to enter the top stages of the European basketball tournament, a status which it has enjoyed in the past.
Under his, and his assistant David Blatt
David Blatt
David Blatt is an American-Israeli professional basketball coach, and a former professional basketball player. Today, Blatt is one of the most successful American coaches in European basketball, and is currently the head coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv and Russia national basketball team.-Playing...
's lead, Maccabi Tel Aviv surprisingly advanced to the Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
finals in 2000, losing to Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
powerhouse Panathinaikos in the final game. A year later Maccabi was crowned European Champions, clinching the Suproleague
Suproleague
FIBA SuproLeague was the FIBA professional club basketball Champions' Cup for the 2000-01 season. Up until that season, there was one cup, the FIBA European Champions' Cup , though in this season of 2000-01, the leading European teams split into two competitions: the FIBA SuproLeague and the ULEB's...
title. However, this achievement was shadowed by the split between two European basketball unions into two separate leagues, which meant that most top European teams did not compete against Maccabi.
After the 2001 season, Gershon took a break from coaching, mainly for some self-searching and travelling around the world. This temporary retirement lasted two seasons, and in the summer of 2003 Gershon returned to his former position as the head coach of Maccabi, for the purpose of reaching the Euroleague 2003-04
Euroleague 2003-04
The Euroleague is an international basketball club competition for elite clubs throughout Europe. The 2003–2004 season featured 24 competing teams from 13 different countries...
Final Four tournament, which took place in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. That goal was two seconds away from failure, when Maccabi, hosting BC Žalgiris
BC Žalgiris
BC Žalgiris is a professional basketball team that is based in Kaunas, Lithuania. It is one of the oldest teams in the Euroleague and plays domestically in the Lietuvos krepšinio lyga , and regionally in the VTB United League...
in the match for the last spot in the tournament, had to come from behind. A marvelous three-point buzzer-beater by Derrick Sharp
Derrick Sharp
Derrick Sharp is an American-Israeli former professional basketball player, and current basketball assistant coach for Maccabi Tel Aviv.Sharp was born in Orlando, Florida...
sent that game into overtime, in which Maccabi won and advanced to the Final Four. Maccabi, under Gershon, went on to have an unforgettable tournament, crushing Skipper Bologna
Fortitudo Bologna
Fortitudo Pallacanestro Bologna is an Legadue Basket professional basketball club that is based in Bologna. It's currently sponsored by Conad.-History:...
118-74 in the final to become the Euroleague 2003-04
Euroleague 2003-04
The Euroleague is an international basketball club competition for elite clubs throughout Europe. The 2003–2004 season featured 24 competing teams from 13 different countries...
champions for the fourth time.
In 2005 Gershon led Maccabi Tel Aviv to another Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
championship season. Having been league favorites all season long, Maccabi Tel Aviv advanced to the Euroleague 2003-04
Euroleague 2003-04
The Euroleague is an international basketball club competition for elite clubs throughout Europe. The 2003–2004 season featured 24 competing teams from 13 different countries...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. The expected final was to be between Maccabi and host CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow is a Russian professional basketball team that is based in Moscow, Russia. The club is a member of the VTB United League. It is often referred to in the West as "Red Army" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army. CSKA has won two titles between 2006 and 2009 in Europe's...
. However, CSKA surprisingly lost its semifinal game to TAU Vitoria
Saski Baskonia
Saski Baskonia, S.A.D., known as Caja Laboral for sponsorship reasons, is a Spanish professional basketball club from the Basque city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain...
. In the final, Maccabi easily beat TAU by a score of 90–78. Gershon was named Euroleague Coach of the Year
Euroleague Coach of the Year Award
The Euroleague Coach of the Year is the annual award introduced in the 2004-05 season. The winner receives the Alexander Gomelsky Trophy, named after the great Russian head coach who among other achievements led ASK Riga to three consecutive Euroleague titles between 1958 and 1960, before adding...
.
During the 2006–2006, Gershon hinted that this would be his last season with Maccabi. That year he again led the team to the Euroleague
Euroleague 2005-06
The Euroleague is an international basketball club competition for elite clubs throughout Europe. The 2005–2006 season featured 24 competing teams from 13 different countries...
Final Four. This time, however, luck has run out, as Maccabil lost the final game to CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow is a Russian professional basketball team that is based in Moscow, Russia. The club is a member of the VTB United League. It is often referred to in the West as "Red Army" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army. CSKA has won two titles between 2006 and 2009 in Europe's...
73-69. Gershon left Maccabi at the end of the season, and signed with Greek Olympiacos BC
Olympiacos BC
Olympiacos B.C. , also known simply as Olympiacos and Olympiacos Piraeus, is a Greek professional basketball club, part of Olympiacos CFP, based in Piraeus. The basketball club, founded in 1931, is one of the most successful in Greece and a traditional powerhouse in European competitions...
.
In his first season as head coach of Olympiacos
Olympiacos BC
Olympiacos B.C. , also known simply as Olympiacos and Olympiacos Piraeus, is a Greek professional basketball club, part of Olympiacos CFP, based in Piraeus. The basketball club, founded in 1931, is one of the most successful in Greece and a traditional powerhouse in European competitions...
, Gershon led the team to the national finals against Panathinaikos and in the final 8 of the Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
, where the team was eliminated by TAU Cerámica
Saski Baskonia
Saski Baskonia, S.A.D., known as Caja Laboral for sponsorship reasons, is a Spanish professional basketball club from the Basque city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain...
. Again, accusations of racism were raised, mainly by Olympiacos fans, concerning the lack of playing time for team star and crowd favorite Sofoklis Schortsianitis.
Pinhas Gershon is the only Israeli basketball coach to ever have won the European cup three times. Today, he is considered to be one of the greatest coaches in Europe.
In September 2008 he led the National team of Bulgaria to EuroBasket 2009
EuroBasket 2009
The EuroBasket 2009 was the 36th EuroBasket, the biennial regional basketball championship contested by European nations and held by FIBA Europe. The tournament, which was hosted by Poland, began on 7 September 2009 and concluded with the final on 20 September 2009...
in Poland after surprising finish ahead of the strongly favored Italian national team in the preliminary round. On November 24, 2008, he signed as Maccabi Tel Aviv
Maccabi Tel Aviv (basketball)
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv B.C. is a professional Israeli basketball club based in Tel Aviv. The team plays in three leagues: the Euroleague, the Israeli Basketball Super League, and the Adriatic League....
coach, after the dismissal of Effi Birnbaum
Effi Birnbaum
Efraim "Effi" Birnbaum , is an Israeli basketball coach. He was coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv for the beginning of 2008-09 season until he was terminated on November 24, 2008.-Coaching career:-References:...
.
In October 2009 he was ejected from an exhibition game against the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. Gershon took close to 6 minutes to exit the court as NBA rules (administered by replacement on-court officials) differ from international rules regarding technical fouls causing coaches to be automatically ejected.
During 2010 Gershon first parted ways with Maccabi after the loss to Hapoel Gilboa Galil at the national finals, and then with the Bulgarian national team due to controversies with the Bulgarian basketball federation.
Personal life
Gershon often eagerly voices his belief in the part divine guidance has had in his career. He has close ties with the ChabadChabad
Chabad or Chabad-Lubavitch is a major branch of Hasidic Judaism.Chabad may also refer to:*Chabad-Strashelye, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism*Chabad-Kapust or Kapust, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism...
movement.
In the year 2001 Gershon was accused of racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
after reporters found a video showing Gershon lecturing before a group of IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
officers. In this lecture
Lecture
thumb|A lecture on [[linear algebra]] at the [[Helsinki University of Technology]]A lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history,...
Gershon made some controversial remarks about African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
people. Gershon claimed that those remarks were only made as a joke and that they were not reflective of his real opinions.
Titles
- European Champions Cup: 3 (with Maccabi Tel-Aviv: 2001-SuproleagueSuproleagueFIBA SuproLeague was the FIBA professional club basketball Champions' Cup for the 2000-01 season. Up until that season, there was one cup, the FIBA European Champions' Cup , though in this season of 2000-01, the leading European teams split into two competitions: the FIBA SuproLeague and the ULEB's...
, 2004, 2005-EuroleagueEuroleagueEuroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
) - Domestic Championship: 7 (6 with Maccabi Tel-Aviv, 1 with Hapoel Galil ElyonHapoel Galil ElyonHapoel Galil-Elyon was an Israeli basketball club. The team represented the north-east region of the country – the Upper Galilee, and the Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights...
) - Domestic Cup: 7 (6 with Maccabi Tel-Aviv, 1 with Hapoel Jerusalem)